In The Beginning ONE SHOT
by Lady Kagewaki
Summary: How the adventures with Lord Sesshomaru and his human assistant began.


This is the beginning of my pride and joy saga. It's a prequel to the Sesshomaru & Comrades series. Please R&R. Then feel free to continue the adventure with my Sesshomaru & Comrades stories Part I & II, then Sesshomaru and Kensington, and Sesshomaru & Sachem. My fans desired more so I had to oblige. Enjoy!

* * *

The American woman had moved to Japan only recently and felt the pains of home sickness, especially in her stomach. 'This Japanese diet is tasty, but I still feel hungry after every meal. I need something heavy to fill my stomach!' 

She spotted a grocer, run by a Korean man, which she had been shopping at. She didn't particularly like the store, the man, or his food, but it was close to her flat and she had become familiar with it. She went inside and tried to pick out her dinner.

* * *

Lord Sesshomaru rode along in his limo and he felt the desire for some fine water. A lot had changed since the feudal era and the Lord of the Western Lands was now a CEO of a major Tokyo financial institution. He wore nothing but the finest suits, rode in nothing but the finest cars, and only hired the most capable professionals. 

He wasn't the only surviving demon from the Warring States Era. Jakan had lived to follow his grand lord. Some of Sesshomaru's enemies had also survived. Menomaru was one of them. He had also become a large power in world of human finances. Lord Sesshomaru and Menomaru had become rivals and Meno was constantly trying to put a wrench in Sesshomaru's works. Meno continuously failed in his attempts.

Sesshomaru sat in his limo pondering his desire for water. "Hm" 'Do I want to wait until I get to the office? No, not really. Only Jakan is in the car with me aside from the driver and he can't go into the store. The humans would have a fit if they saw him. If the driver leaves the car then that would leave us open to the possibility of a car jacking. I guess it is up to me.' Sesshomaru said "Driver, pull over to the next store you see. I want something to drink."

"Oh milord! There is water in the frig here. We don't need to delay your trip" squeaked Jakan.

"I don't want that garbage, Jakan, I want my brand or something closer to it" replied Sesshomaru.

"Oh milord!" exclaimed the little toad demon as Lord Sesshomaru stepped out of his limo and into the grocer.

* * *

Menomaru had been trailing the Sesshomaru limo for quite some time hoping for a moment like this. Meno's two assistants, Hari and Ruri were with him. Hari drove the little Toyota three car lengths behind the limo and succeeded in evading detection. They pulled over a block behind the parked limo. Meno pulled out a walkie talkie and spoke into it. "He just walked into some grocery. No bodyguard, no nothing. Corner him. I want to give the final blow myself!"

* * *

The American woman looked around for some pasta and tomato sauce. She asked the man behind the counter if he even sold the type of salami she was looking for. She asked knowing that the grocer often misplaced and mistreated foreign foods. The grocer smiled at her question and went to a freezer behind him. 

The woman was a little confused when he pulled it out of the freezer. She looked at the salami and said "I'm sorry, but this one is freezer burned. Look, here…quite badly" said the woman. The grocer scrunched up his face and shook with rage. "What?" asked the woman calmly. 'Did he misunderstand me?' "I can't eat it this way. Just get another one."

The grocer started to scream. She wasn't sure what language it was. Japanese was a foreign language to both of them, but they had gotten by on it in the past. What he was screaming wasn't Japanese and she _knew_ it wasn't English.

The American was tired, she was hungry, and she was fed up with Asians. She had received four rejection letters in the mail that week for jobs she had applied to. She was also homesick and itching for a fight. "FINE! YOU WANNA SCREAM! FINE! BAKA! YOU KNOW WHAT BAKA MEANS?" She slammed the frozen salami on the counter. "BAKA! What the hell kind of BAKA puts a salami" she slammed it again "in a freaking FREEZER?" She slammed it twice more "I was going to let it slide, but no!" Slam"YOU want to scream! FINE!"

As Lord Sesshomaru entered the shop he noted it was small, musty, and full of expired food. There was some woman arguing with the shop keeper over what smelled like an Italian sausage. He headed to the back where the coolers were and realized his mistake. He was no longer alone and could smell the demon who had killed his last assistant standing behind him.

The shopkeeper was too incensed to find words and just blurted out threatening noises "AAAAHYAAAH! GRRRRRR!"

The woman noticed a second man pass behind her into the shop as she continued her argument "BAKAAAAA!" When she finished her half of the tirade and glanced at the man who had passed behind her she thought 'Holy crap, he's gorgeous!' She immediately regretted her over usage of the word Baka.

As the screeching voice of the shop keeper rang in her ears the woman thought 'There's something about that man. Where have I seen him before?' Then it hit 'That's the CEO of Western Financial! Holy Crap! Maybe he can help me find a job!'

Another man entered the shop and approached the CEO from behind. The American felt in her gut that this scruffy looking guy in a sleek suit was trouble. 'CEO Sessho- something is in trouble!' She turned her attention back to the screaming grocer who did not notice his millionaire customers.

Another man, more beautiful than most women she knew, then entered and walked up behind the CEO who was searching for the perfect bottle of water.

* * *

Meno could not believe his luck. He sent one of his guards ahead into the grocery store after Sesshomaru , but the arrogant dog demon was ignoring him. When Meno arrived he caught the lord's attention, but not for long. Lord Sesshomaru went back to his water selection. "They have nothing worth my palate" said Lord Sesshomaru to himself. 

"So, Lord Sesshomaru what brings you to this dirt hole?" asked Meno as he dismissed his bodyguard.

Lord Sesshomaru stood with a bottle of water that was better than what was in the car, but not great. Itwould just have to do. He was going to ignore Meno until he saw the weapon. Sesshomaru thought 'I won't be harmed by it, but there is no reason to draw attention to ourselves. There are two humans in the shop and they tend to cause trouble.'

Lord Sesshomaru noted that the woman's attention had shifted away from her argument and towards him. She didn't look at him, but Lord Sesshomaru just had a feeling. Meno got behind the lord and pushed the barrel of the gun into his back. The dog youkai was unsure of what was awaiting him outside, but he was confident he could handle it. 'Meno is never a true threat, but he can be a severe irritant.' Meno often wrapped himself up in dangerous situations in hopes of gaining more power. 'If anything' thought Lord Sesshomaru 'I must respect him for being a risk-taker…but that's it.'

* * *

The woman noticed Menomaru's gun and how it was poking the CEO in the back. 'What's his name? Why can't I remember?' The grocer had calmed down enough to speak Japanese again and he was lambasting the US educational system "and it makes disrespectful brats like you!" 

The American woman was in and out of the argument. She thought 'If I help him he's gotta get me a job! Is he being mugged? No, how many muggers wear suits and ties. Oh! What if it's Yakuza!' Al weighed her options. Just as Meno was passing with Lord Sesshomaru behind her she made a decision. She picked up the salami, spun around and beat Meno's gun toting hand.

Meno dropped the gun and stumbled back. The woman whacked Meno again on the side of the head but he didn't fall unconscious. The grocer, immediately recognized the true demon nature of Meno and Lord Sesshomaru and ran screaming out of his shop.

Meno grabbed his own hand, and quite childishly whined "OW! Oww! OOOwwwAAAH!" Meno's head began to pour with blood and Alicia knew something strange was going on. Lord Sesshomaru bent over and picked up the gun.

The American woman snapped at Meno half irritated and half with disbelief "Why are you not unconscious?" Lord Sesshomaru then emptied the bullets onto his hand. He rolled around a few bullets which were full of a neon green fluid.

Sesshomaru thought 'These are no mere bullets, they're filled with acid. Though I am immune to all poisons, they would most certainly slow me down, especially if one ended up in my spine.'

Meno backed off, dusted off his suit, and went to grab the woman's salami. She began to beat Meno again with her frozen salami. He put his arms up in defense and soon found himself on the floor. He let out a yowl every time she let the salami drop. "OW!"

She couldn't believe he was still awake. "What is with you" **whack** "Why" **whack** "don't you" **thwack** **smack** "just" **thud** "pass out!" **Smack thwack thud whack**.

Lord Sesshomaru was amused by the scene, but decided to leave. He walked out of the shop and found his limo waiting where he had left it. The woman came out of the shop after the lord. "Hey! Hey wait!" she said.

'She must be American. Such a casual and familiar air about her. Insulting' thought Sesshomaru.

Meno crawled out on his hands and knees behind the woman. Meno raised and shook his fist "I'll get you Sesshomaruuuu! Ah!" The woman threatened him with the salami and he rolled back into the shop. "IiIeeEEEE!"

Lord Sesshomaru smelled that his associates in the limo and had been replaced with those of Meno's associates. They were trying to trap him. Lord Sesshomaru walked down the block intent on calling his own associates to pick him up and get him back to his office.

The woman and her frozen salami followed . "Mr. Sesshomaru? Mr Sesshomaru, sir! Sir?" she called after him.

'How dare she—Hm…I kind of like the sound of 'Sir'' he thought. Lord Sesshomaru ignored her and pulled out his cell phone. He called an associate and gave him directions.

The woman was persistent and tried to get his attention. At this point it was a matter of pride. The woman thought 'What an asshole! I just saved him and he ignores me? Who does he think he is! I'll show him! I'm gonna get him to acknowledge me no matter what it takes!'

The limo on the curb began to move and Lord Sesshomaru walked further down the block. The American followed. Her gut twisted and she thought 'This limo is creepy, this is definitely not good.' "Hey, sir?" Sesshomaru slipped into an alleyway and the woman followed him. Just as she stepped into the alley behind him a volley of gunfire sprayed the ground behind her. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at a line of smoking bullet holes near the mouth of the alley.

"Crap!" she said to herself. "What the hell?" The woman's eyes grew wide when she looked at the bullet holes in the cement. Meanwhile, Lord Sesshomaru leapt upward. The young woman's concern for the bullets faded when she spotted Sesshomaru crawling up onto the roof and getting away from her. 'Does he think I'll give up that easily? He's got anotherthing coming!' The woman didn't forget the about the gunfire, but she was more focused on getting that stuck up CEO to acknowledge her.

She followed him up a fire escape. 'I'm gonna get a job dammit! I'm gonna get his attention DAMMIT!' Another volley of gunfire propelled her further up the fire escape. As she hauled herself onto the roof more acidic bullets flew past her.

Her frozen salami was beginning to defrost and was slick in her hands. More bullets whizzed by and damaged her shoe ruining her pumps. "Damn!" she swore.

She took them off and walked barefoot across the gravelly roof. Lord Sesshomaru stood watching the skyline. "Sir?" 'This is ridiculous! He can't ignore me now! It's just me and him on this roof and he better give me a job after what I did for him!' She was determined for him to acknowledge her.

There was some clattering and suddenly there were men with guns on the roof. 'Is this how my life will end?' she thought. She looked down at her salami and had a sinking feeling that it couldn't help her anymore. They cocked their weapons and she looked around frantically. They pointed their guns and fired.

She felt like she was punched in the chest and then felt the gravel on her face. 'I was knocked over by gunfire No, wait…I wasn't shot, I fell over because, he…the CEO knocked me down!' she realized.

She held her salami upright and it was pierced by a stray bullet. She looked through the smoking hole at the scene. She could barley believe her eyes. The CEO of Western Financial was holding some kind of glowing whip and effortlessly deflected the bullets. 'How? How on Earth?' was all she could think. After the acid bullets found their way back to their owners a helicopter dipped out of the sky.

As she got herself up off the ground she said "Thank you sir!"

"Pft. Useless human. You were in my way. You were just lucky" was Sesshomaru's response.

'Human? What? Why were those bullets melting things? I've got oo many questions!' "Who's after you? Yakuza?" she asked.

He said "Hmf. No. That band of selfish renegades is nothing compared to the malevolent forces I fight." The young woman then noticed Sesshomaru's eyes and the inhuman glow about them. The helicopter came closer to the building where they stood. The woman's long hair swirled on the choppy currents of air.

As the air bounced through his bangs he said "Girl, you have involved yourself in something much more complex than you suspected. I hope you are not close with your family."

"WHAT! WHY?"

"If your identity is found out, which it most certainly will be, your family will pay the price. Meno will see to that."

"Meno? Who's Me—"she was cut off.

"Do you have children?" he asked.

"Uh..N-no" she sputtered. 'Will you marry me?' she jokingly thought 'He's beautiful!'

"Are you married?"

"What? No." 'Can he read minds? Holy Crap! Hahahaha! AH! Why is he asking? What's going on!'

"You must take on a new identity. I cannot allow you to say goodbye to your parents it would be too risky" said Lord Sesshomaru.

"What? How? I—I—I just—I need papers and stuff!" The young woman gripped her salami to her chest.

"I can provide you with official documentation. You may have contact with one friend, however it must be limited and I will have to limit your calls to a certain amount of time and through particular lines of communication."

"Bu-I—this is madness!" was all she could say.

"Mm. Yes. Well, I will also provide you with employment and training."

"A job?" the woman was snapped out of her daze.

"Yes. You can be my personal assistant."

"Oh. Well…" The young woman looked at the acid riddled bodies and back into his amber eyes. 'I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I? At least it will be an adventure' "Okay" she said hesitantly "I'll do it. Thank you, sir."

Lord Sesshomaru signaled with one had and the helicopter came closer. Jakan was already aboard and having some kind of hissy fit that was drowned out by the loudness of the helicopter blades.

Sesshomaru said to her "Now all you need is a new name,. What do you want?"

"Uh – I – don't' know."

'This woman is overwhelmed. Useless humans. All of them.' "Fine. You are now Alicia Kensington. That's a generic European name."

"Uh, yes, sir!" she said with a strange type of excitement bubbling inside of her.

Lord Sesshomaru stepped onto the helicopter and looked back at her. "Come along Ms. Kensington there's work to do." He extended his hand out to her to help her onto the Western Financial Helicopter.

"Yes sir!" she said as she saluted him with the bullet-holed salami. When she got on to the helicopter she watched the roof top as they pulled up and away. She felt a smile tug her lips as she left her old life behind. 'I have a feeling this is going to be one wild adventure!'

* * *

Please check out Listersgirl 's artwork on Deviantart. com. She has some great pictures that go along with my Alicia & Sesshomaru stories, this one included! 


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